Wisconsin 2011 Act 32 required the Department of Corrections to gather information about juvenile justice services from around the state and compile into a report to the legislature. With help from the counties, that information has been compiled in a report to the legislature released in early July. The report, simply titled 2010 State and County Juvenile Justice Services, provides information on both state and county-level expenditures related to juvenile justice. WCCF has created a Juvenile Justice Expenditures Snapshot of the key fiscal data, illustrating changes in funding, changes in the number of youth served, and that state Youth Aids funds account for less than one-half of juvenile justice related expenditures.
Explained: End Juvenile Life Without Parole in Wisconsin
Wisconsin relies far too much on incarceration and blames children for system-wide failures. Instead of incarceration, a better investment for Wisconsin’s youth is in basic needs such as health, housing, and employment. Wisconsin should reimagine a community-based continuum of care grounded in youth voice, emerging adult research, and cross-system collaboration.
